Tokyo firm urges caution against surge in coronavirus-related disinformation on April Fools' Day
A Tokyo-based risk management firm is cautioning against a potential surge in coronavirus-related disinformation on April Fools' Day, alarmed by the recent spread of what it perceives to be baseless rumors on social media that the government is secretly preparing for the start of ...
From being duped into taking poisonous "cures" to watching businesses crumble and avoiding life-saving medication, people are suffering devastating real-world impacts of a deluge of online virus misinformation. As the new coronavirus sets scientists scrambling for a solution, rumors and false claims are fueling confusion ...
Foreign disinformation is stoking COVID-19 fears, say U.S. officials
The Trump administration is alleging that a foreign disinformation campaign is under way aimed at spreading fear in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, three U.S. officials said Monday. On Sunday, federal officials began confronting what they said was a deliberate effort by a foreign ...
U.S. decries Cambodia treason trial's 'fabricated conspiracy theories'
The United States ambassador to Cambodia said on Thursday that he is troubled by "fabricated conspiracy theories" at the treason trial of opposition party leader Kem Sokha, who is accused of plotting to overthrow longtime leader Hun Sen. Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 and ...
Sesame oil? Granite baths? Sea lettuce? COVID-19 rumors spread like a virus in Japan
In a nation gripped by fear amid the outbreak, rumors swirling online that appear to have little or no scientific justification have gained traction.
Russia-linked disinformation campaign fueling coronavirus alarm, U.S. says
Thousands of Russian-linked social media accounts have launched a coordinated effort to spread alarm about the new coronavirus, disrupting global efforts to fight the epidemic, U.S. officials say. The disinformation campaign promotes unfounded conspiracy theories that the United States is behind the COVID-19 outbreak, in ...
Fake news rears its ugly head amid COVID-19 outbreak
Fake news times fake news is fake news squared — which is to say, it goes viral. It multiplies like a virus, which multiplies like fake news. Then the equation gets complicated. What's fake news times a viral epidemic? "Unfortunately," says Weekly Playboy magazine this month, ...
One scientific post suggests links between the new coronavirus and AIDS. A second says it may have passed to people via snakes. A third claims it is a pathogen from outer space. The emergence in China of a new human coronavirus that is causing an ...
As the coronavirus spreads, so does fake news
Twitter and Google ought to emulate Facebook's new 'physical harm' standard to help stop the dangerous spread of misinformation.
Facebook will begin removing fake claims and conspiracy theories about the new coronavirus, stepping up efforts to fight the spread of misinformation about a viral outbreak from China that has killed more than 200. The spread of the virus, which has been declared a global ...
China's top court rebukes police for virus 'rumor' crackdown
A too-harsh crackdown on online rumors during China's deadly viral epidemic had undermined public trust, the country's top court said Wednesday, in a highly rare rebuke of the police force. China has been battling the spread of infection that has surpassed the global reach of ...
Trump says Mark Zuckerberg told him he's Facebook's 'number one'
President Donald Trump boasted Monday that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told him at dinner he is "number one" on the global social media platform. "I had dinner with Mark Zuckerberg the other day and he said 'I'd like to congratulate you ... you are number ...
